


Vessels

by tabulaxrasa



Series: Vessels [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Family, Gen, Siblings, an owl - Freeform, but they're not actually in the same room in this one or anything sorry, sharing vessels, suddenly a plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 06:43:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6144961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabulaxrasa/pseuds/tabulaxrasa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three conversations between siblings, and one extra. Arrangements are made and unmade.</p>
<p>(Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6045055">Too Mean Pretense</a>)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vessels

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, sorry this took so long, and it's probably not quite what you were expecting. It wasn't what I was expecting. But there will be at least one more in this series, and this is some groundwork-laying. I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much to everyone who commented and kudos'd on the last one! <3

_1) Dean & Sam_

Dean didn't go into unnecessary details— which was all of them— when he filled Sam in.

Sam sat next to him in a state of wide-eyed shock. "Cas must have said yes," Sam said. "Why would he do that?"

"Because we thought Lucifer was our only option." Dean had a headache, and he didn't want to talk. "Shit." He fumbled for his phone. The screen was cracked, and it wouldn't wake up. "Fucking Lucifer. Give me your phone."

Sam's hand wasn't steady, and he didn't ask questions, which showed how freaked out he was. Dean would deal with that in a second.

He scrolled through Sam's contacts, hit one, and held the phone up, listening to it ring.

"Sam?" said Claire.

"Nah, it's me," Dean answered. He swallowed, hard. "Listen, kid…"

 

_2) Lucifer & Castiel_

Lucifer had never intended to kill Dean so Castiel had slept through most of the confrontation, awaking only when Dean prayed to him. And then he was _pissed._ He'd been making a nuisance of himself ever since. He even complained when Lucifer abused Crowley, and Lucifer knew that was bullshit. Angels were _meant_ to smite demons.

"Will you stop being so annoying?" Lucifer said.

"Will you stop trying to destroy my family?" Castiel answered back.

Lucifer was offended, then angry that he was offended. _His family._ "They're a blip, you know that," he said. "Blink your eyes and they're gone." 

"They're not a blip," Castiel answered calmly, with an annoying amount of surety. "They have already been a seismic shift in creation."

"Sure, they screwed up Plan A," Lucifer said. "But I'm out of the Cage again and once we take care of Amara there will be nothing stopping me."

"You believe you can rule Hell, Earth…and Heaven? Now?"

"Yes," Lucifer snapped, irritated he couldn't shut Castiel up.

"Dean and Sam will let Michael out of the Cage before that happens."

Lucifer laughed. "They can try. I don't think big brother Michael would be much use either way, at this point. Also, just so you know, it's disgusting how when you think Dean's name there are hearts around it."

"There are not," Castiel responded, sounding like a sulky child. But at least it did shut him up for a minute.

~

Lucifer had a plan. It wasn't a great plan, but he was confident enough that it would work. Modify a warding spell to trap Amara in her body, kill her, poof bang. But they'd need a pretty good distraction while he set up the spell.

"I won't let you do this," Castiel said. Lucifer hadn't exactly monologued the plan at him, but he couldn't, at the moment, stop Castiel from knowing it.

"Dean and Sam are the ones who let the Darkness out," Lucifer explained, with really remarkable patience, considering. "They have to sacrifice to put it right, and they'd be the first ones to agree, as I'm sure you know." Plus they'd die, and that would be amusing for Lucifer.

Castiel did not have an immediate response for this, because of course Lucifer was right.

"Dean can't hurt Amara, Amara can't hurt Dean," Lucifer said. "You just don't want him to stand that close to her."

Castiel's answer to that was a growl. It might have frightened humans, but to Lucifer it was like being growled at by a kitten. Except kittens were cute.

"Settle down, Assbutt. You don't get a say. You know, that's not even satisfying to say, really. _Assbutt._ Meh." Lucifer shook his head. Castiel was such a little weirdo. When Castiel started to argue again, Lucifer did the two-angels-sharing-a-vessel equivalent of locking Castiel in his room. Castiel could still shout and bang on the door, but it was a lot easier to ignore him.

When Lucifer let him out again, Castiel said: "It would be better if Dean could kill Amara," with a heroic effort at a reasonable tone.

"Well, yeah. But he can't, dummy. That's the whole point. But we can still use him as a distraction, and _you're_ going to tell him to do it if you have to." The feeling Castiel sent back was resolute and cold and implacable. But again, what came to mind was a really angry kitten.

~

Lucifer had wasted no time on the notion that Castiel even thought about Crowley much— hadn't considered any past relationship. He'd known, of course, that Crowley had worked with Team Free Will during the disappointpocalypse, and obviously Crowley had brought Sam and then Dean and Castiel down to Hell, but Castiel was an angel and Crowley a demon, and as far as Lucifer was concerned, that was where it ended. He hadn't realized they all had each other on speed dial.

So he was caught a bit off guard when the next time he let Crowley out for walkies, Castiel knocked Lucifer over and took the vessel back.

~~

"I need you to tell Dean—"

"Look at me! I'm not _telling Dean_ anything in this state!"

Castiel sighed and rolled his eyes. "Tell Dean not to listen to any plan of Lucifer's—"

"Is that really going to be problem? Oh, of course it. Bloody Winchesters..."

"I have a better plan. Tell them to wait for me." Then he cut through Crowley's chain (but not the collar) with the last of his strength. Crowley wasted no time scrambling from the room, and Castiel managed to retain control long enough to give him a solid head start.

"Oh, little Castiel," Lucifer hissed. He knocked Castiel a blow that left his metaphysical head ringing. "You are in so much trouble now."

It took Castiel much too long to recognize the spell Lucifer began to chant. He was almost finished by the time Castiel realized what it was going to do.

Castiel fought to hold on, but it was too late.

"Bye-bye, Cassie. Thanks for the vessel." 

Castiel roiled, alone, immaterial, and still unable to fly on his charred wings. It took him some time to get his balance, too much time to get to the surface of the earth, crawling like a demon or leviathan or some lower thing. He was exhausted but he could not stop. He had to get to Dean, had to be able to fight, and Lucifer might decide merely ejecting him from his vessel wasn't enough.

Angels had to have a vessel on Earth. "I'm very sorry," Castiel said to the nearest thing in the alley. "But can I borrow you?" The cat was extremely wary but liked his warmth. He said yes.

Castiel had to change vessels very frequently or the animal would die. He finally managed to get into a raven, and then he really started to make time. Nothing but air around him, the wind ruffling his feathers— he did a bit of swooping and rolling, just because he could. The sunlight was warm on his black wings, and Castiel hadn't thought he would ever fly again.

There was only one place he could go, and Castiel followed the pull of it, as fast as his borrowed wings would let him. 

 

_3) Claire & Alex_

"Those are my shoes," Claire said.

"Yeah, but I need to borrow them," Alex said.

Claire huffed, outraged. Alex had way more shoes than she did. She was going to say that, too, but she was interrupted by something tapping on her window.

They both tensed, and turned toward it, ready for anything but what they actually saw.

"Oh my god," Alex said, eyes wide. "I think your Hogwarts letter just arrived."

"It's a little late," Claire said, but there was definitely still an owl sitting on her windowsill. What. They watched as it tapped its beak gently against the glass, knocking.

"I think you better let it in," Alex whispered.

Claire slowly opened the window. The big barn owl looked at her out of one eye, then the other. Claire looked at Alex, who was really unhelpful and just shrugged. Claire offered her arm and the owl stepped on. It was heavier than it looked, and the giant claws made her nervous, but it seemed to be careful not to hurt her.

"Oh my god," Alex said again. She pulled out her phone. "Okay, now try not to look terrified and look more like a badass wizard." She took a couple of pictures quickly and then

**_CLAIRE_**

Claire jumped and flung off the poor owl, which had to flap its wings. The wings kind of filled up the room and Claire ducked so she wouldn't get hit in the face.

"What are you doing?" Alex said.

"Didn't you hear that?" Claire said, breathless.

"Hear what?"

**_CLAIRE_** came again, not so loud, and then **_Sorry. Hello, Claire._**

"Cas?" Claire called. "Where are you?"

"What?" Alex shouted, apparently just to shout.

The owl settled itself on Claire's bed and looked at her. She recognized that look, even coming from an owl. 

"Are you kidding?" Claire was having a little trouble controlling the volume of her voice. "What are you doing? Where is your body?" _Where is my dad's body?_

"Why are you shouting at that owl?" Alex demanded.

"Just go away, Alex," Claire said. "Now!"

Alex released a prime teenage girl huff but stomped away, still in Claire's shoes. She didn't slam the door, though, probably for the owl's sake. She always was a softie.

Claire gave the owl— Cas— a hard look. "Explain."

**_I gave permission to Lucifer to use me as a vessel,_** Cas began.

"Yeah, I heard. Dean called," Claire said. "Which— we're gonna have words about that, by the way."

Cas cocked his head, and since he was an owl he _really_ cocked his head. **_Lucifer ejected me from my vessel,_** he said.

"And that's why you're an owl?" It might be kind of cool to have an angel owl. He could ride on her shoulder and smite things.

**_I can't stay an owl, Claire. Neither of us are made for it. It's killing her. I need to let her go._**

Claire stared at him for a moment. Oh. She reached out to gently touch the owl. The feathers were so soft, and Cas sat very still as she moved her fingers along his wing. His eyes closed a little, like a cat being petted.

**_I am so sorry,_** Cas said quietly, or what passed for quietly when an angel was talking to you. **_I would not ask this of you if it wasn't so important. And absolutely necessary._**

"Right," Claire said. She petted the owl a little more. It would probably be her only chance to do so.

**_Claire, I promise, as soon as possible, or as soon as the Darkness is defeated, I will leave you. Even if it means I have no vessel, I will leave you and return to Heaven._**

Claire was surprised by the squirmy, unhappy feeling in her stomach at the thought of Cas leaving forever. "All right," she said. "All aboard. _Yes._ "

 

_4) Castiel & Claire_

Jody was in the kitchen, Alex with her. Castiel realized they were waiting for him. For them. "Claire?" Jody said cautiously. Castiel shook his head.

Jody had a gun in her hand in a second. Castiel raised his hands— Claire' s hands. "I need to borrow her, just for a little bit. I swear I will make sure no harm comes to her." The promise, heartfelt as it was, still tasted like ashes in his mouth. How many promises had he failed to keep?

"Castiel?" Jody lowered the gun, but didn't put it down.

He nodded. Claire had known about Lucifer taking his vessel, another thing for which Castiel was immensely grateful to Dean, and either Dean or Claire must have informed Jody as well.

"I want to talk to Claire." Arguing would waste more time than giving in, so Cas stepped aside and let Claire have herself back.

"It's okay, Jody," Claire said. "If it wasn't the fate of the world and stuff, I wouldn't have said yes. He'll keep me safe."

Castiel had never had the ground taken out from under his feet in a _good_ way before. He felt immeasurably humbled and grateful that Claire placed so much in trust in him, now, after everything.

Castiel had already accepted, more or less, that he would not be allowed back in heaven. But now he decided he _would not_ go back to heaven, no matter what happened. This family— Dean and Sam and Claire— this was all the family he needed. He would endeavor to be worthy of them.

While Castiel was feeling all this, Claire had been conducting some kind of negotiations with Jody. "Castiel," Jody said loudly, as if Castiel were further away when Claire was in charge of the vessel— of her body. "I am not impressed with this. But I guess I can't stop you. So I just want to say good luck, and you damn well better bring her back in one piece. Got it?"

Castiel did not, of course, answer, until Claire gave him a mental shove and he took over. "Of course, Sheriff Mills," he said. "I promise to regularly text with updates."

"Yeah, yeah," Jody muttered. "I know what 'regular' means with you Winchesters."

Castiel, inexplicably, felt abnormal amounts of blood moving to his face, causing his cheeks to flush.

Alex burst into laughter. "Oh my god, which one of you is blushing?"

_Shut up, Twilight,_ Claire growled. _Tell her to shut up, Cas! Smite her or something._

"I need to go," was what Cas said. Jody hadn't laughed but she looked like she might be laughing on the inside.

She followed them to the door, issuing further warnings to be careful of various things. Claire had a car of her own, so that was one problem solved.

_We could steal a better one?_

"No," Cas said. 

Castiel was not used to being in such a short vessel; he ducked when he didn't have to and struggled getting into the truck because Claire's legs were shorter than he was used to.

_Just because you guys are all giants,_ Claire grumbled. _I'm a_ normal _height, thank you very much._

Castiel started the truck, waved to Jody, and then headed out, a little faster than the legal limit.

_Where are we going?_ Claire asked.

"Home," he said.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I have a new tumblr at [also a blank slate](https://alsoablankslate.tumblr.com/) and my old one is [merythapy](http://merythapy.tumblr.com/) if you want to come hang out sometime.


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